Surfing, Skateboarding, Music, Photography, Travel, Culture and general antics of the youth on the run.

Dear Youth Field notes from the outer islands

Indonesia Boat Trip Cluster Filming Yoyo Island Creed McTaggart Brendon Gibbens Craig Anderson Thom Pringle Surfing Dear Youth What Youth

A five-day trip to get the fuck outta Bali and film for ClusterTM with Craig Anderson, Brendon Gibbens, Creed McTaggart & Thom Pringle.

We slept in dungeon style cell rooms with a shitty fan, all of us. Tucked tight together with mattresses on the floor. This was Indo at it’s best. A real surf trip.

Creed would wake up last every day. The first two days of waves were fun, four-foot cross-shore ramps. We attempted to surf a rare left (breaks a couple times a year) when the swell hit, didn’t end up going out. Worst vibes: around 60 people in the water (surf dog Indo tube pigs). Its funny how people hunted this swell out like maniacs and we are trying to dodge it, waiting for the down days when hacked up ramps are on offer. It’s what we do.

Watching Now Now during the trip and notice that Jordy makes this wave look way too easy. He’s shredding. Although soundtrack was muted and eyes bleeding from the drones, the dude can surf.

Good pal Thom Pringle jumped on the trip to get one last surf fix before he embarks on a journey to work in Paris, bon voyage Thom…we miss you.

Music of choice: Sex Dwarf by Soft Cell. This was jamming in our rented miners Hilux en route to shred every day.

Warung Mamas Padang food. The best food down the street and only 3 dollars. Boom, post-surf hammers.

(3 ice creams and a pancake later):

We were running late. Doddy was our Lombok driver. He zooted us to the airport in 50 minutes. His record he said is 49 minutes. The drive is usually 1.30 hours. We made our flight by 5 minutes. Kudos doddy!

Evan Geiselman in France photographed by Quinn Matthews What Youth

Dear Youth I thought Evan Geiselman was a ghost

This morning I was sitting here editing pages for What Youth Issue 9 (deadlines and shit) when photo rookie Quinn Matthews quit chasing French girls long enough to send us a batch of images from France. I flicked through and who should I see but Evan Geiselman! I immediately picked up the phone and dialed…

Craig Anderson photographed by Nate Lawrence What Youth

Dear Youth Guy in the sky

Where is the wave? I’ve cut off the bottom of the wave! “Guy in the sky” is what I was told not to do when I was younger. “Always have the wave in the photo.” “Show where he came from and where he’s going.” Blah. Blah. Blah. A long time ago I decided not to…

Kai Neville in Italy

Dear Youth Scenes from Europe with Kai

Overcast and gloom as we hit the tarmac. It feels good to be out of Indonesia. The contrast is evident immediately. I feel young here. War torn, art coated, romance-stained Europe. From Hemingway to Jean Luc, find your feet, sink your teeth and hack away. I could make a film here. Anywhere but LA, fuck,…

Mitch Coleborn photographed by Kai Neville Cluster Movie Surfboards Quiver

Dear Youth Mitch Coleborn’s Cluster Quiver

Surfboard art can be really bad. And good of course, but most often, bad. Depending who it’s in the hands of. From classic iconic pin lines, solid colors, pro and shaper decals, over-done murals…there hasn’t been too many iconic art works under foam and fiberglass. The lightning bolt, Ozzies crowns, Kalani’s Kellog boards, Todd Chesser’s…

Noa Deane in Indonesia Filming For Cluster by Kai Neville

Dear Youth Noa Deane Filming for Cluster

Noa Deane’s dad is one of the finest competitive surfers Australia has ever known. Wayne Deane’s list of accolades is lengthy, he owns a successful surfboard business and he was inducted into the Australian Surfing Hall of Fame in 2003. But despite his incredible competitive success, he never forced that onto his son, and we’d…

Dane Reynolds surfing in indonesia on the set of cluster

Dear Youth Strange Desires: Dane Reynolds from the set of Cluster

I feel like I’m coming down with something. Last time I was here I projectile vomited across the room. A powerful spew that didn’t quite make the bowl. Now there are cats crawling around my gado gado. Sweats aside, the waves are good. Plenty of swell and Dane Reynolds is jamming alongside Jay Davies. Back…

Jack Freestone Crack Salina Cruz Mexico Surfing Quinn Matthews Photography Dear Youth What Youth

Dear Youth Crack, A What Youth original short will premiere Friday, August 15

We asked Dillon Perillo, who traveled to Mexico with Jack Freestone, about the trip that will be playing here on Friday. Seems that it was hot: Dillon Perillo on Mexico: “The air was a scorch and our rations were peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with these funny cherry and marshmallow cookies. The beer is almost…

Rizal Tanjung bali what youth

Dear Youth Rizal Tanjung and his son Varun paddling out at Padang

Nate Lawrence: “There’s so much talk of the next generation. Kids are getting sponsored at a younger age every year. They are learning faster than previous generations. Surfing is changing into something that is very thought out and calculated. No more do kids grab any surfboard and paddle out not knowing how many cubic liters…

Bol Adi Putra surfing in bali what youth

Dear Youth Bol Adi Putra, Padang Padang

Bol Adi Putra at Padang Padang There’s no lack of swell in Indo right now. Hasn’t been for months. Wherever you are over here, you’ve been scoring. Mentawais. G-Land. Bali. It’s all been nonstop. But what you haven’t scored is Bali’s most famous wave: Padang Padang. Sure you’ve gotten a few head dips here and…

Magazine deadline Dear youth What Youth

Dear Youth Late nights, early mornings

Slept here last night…well, Scott did, if you call that sleep. And he looks good today! We just battled each demonic hurdle this latest deadline threw at us. Wielding swords of wine bottles and coffee, we are officially finished. We can throw away (and hide) all the Del Taco bags, beer cans, coffee cups and…

Luke Davis Indonesia Boat Trip Nate Lawrence Dear Youth Surfing What Youth

Dear Youth This is what it looks like to score

Taj Burrow claimed best trip to Indo…like ever. Luke Davis (pictured above) parked himself in hundreds of long-term tubes stations (often on his 5′ 5″ x 19 1/4″ Mayhem) and thoroughly proved himself a stubborn barrel pig. Kolohe Andino stood tall and strong — sporting 15 stitches in his chin — while driving through roping…

Taj Burrow Mentawais Dear Youth What Youth Music

Dear Youth Taj Burrow hammering the pedals in the Mentawais

Kolohe Andino has been looking up to Taj Burrow since he was around 7 years old. Taj was his guy as a grom. And seeings how we’re officially calling Taj Burrow The World’s Greatest Professional Surfer of All-Time, it was only fitting that when the opportunity for Kolohe to do a trip to Indo with…

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